Two 9' L x 9'H EcoWalls planted with hardy perennials, surrounded by a corten frame.
Inspiration for a contemporary landscaping in Philadelphia.

We were contacted by a family named Pesek who lived near Memorial Drive on the West side of Houston. They lived in a stately home built in the late 1950’s. Many years back, they had contracted a local pool company to install an old lagoon-style pool, which they had since grown tired of. When they initially called us, they wanted to know if we could build them an outdoor room at the far end of the swimming pool. We scheduled a free consultation at a time convenient to them, and we drove out to their residence to take a look at the property. After a quick survey of the back yard, rear of the home, and the swimming pool, we determined that building an outdoor room as an addition to their existing landscaping design would not bring them the results they expected. The pool was visibly dated with an early “70’s” look, which not only clashed with the late 50’s style of home architecture, but guaranteed an even greater clash with any modern-style outdoor room we constructed. Luckily for the Peseks, we offered an even better landscaping plan than the one they had hoped for. We proposed the construction of a new outdoor room and an entirely new swimming pool. Both of these new structures would be built around the classical geometry of proportional right angles. This would allow a very modern design to compliment an older home, because basic geometric patterns are universal in many architectural designs used throughout history. In this case, both the swimming pool and the outdoor rooms were designed as interrelated quadrilateral forms with proportional right angles that created the illusion of lengthened distance and a sense of Classical elegance. This proved a perfect complement to a house that had originally been built as a symbolic emblem of a simpler, more rugged and absolute era. Though reminiscent of classical design and complimentary to the conservative design of the home, the interior of the outdoor room was ultra-modern in its array of comfort and convenience. The Peseks felt this would be a great place to hold birthday parties for their child. With this new outdoor room, the Peseks could take the party outside at any time of day or night, and at any time of year. We also built the structure to be fully functional as an outdoor kitchen as well as an outdoor entertainment area. There was a smoker, a refrigerator, an ice maker, and a water heater—all intended to eliminate any need to return to the house once the party began. Seating and entertainment systems were also added to provide state of the art fun for adults and children alike. We installed a flat-screen plasma TV, and we wired it for cable. The swimming pool was built between the outdoor room and the rear entrance to the house. We got rid of the old lagoon-pool design which geometrically clashed with the right angles of the house and outdoor room. We then had a completely new pool built, in the shape of a rectangle, with a rather innovative coping design. We showcased the pool with a coping that rose perpendicular to the ground out of the stone patio surface. This reinforced our blend of contemporary look with classical right angles. We saved the client an enormous amount of money on travertine by setting the coping so that it does not overhang with the tile. Because the ground between the house and the outdoor room gradually dropped in grade, we used the natural slope of the ground to create another perpendicular right angle at the end of the pool. Here, we installed a waterfall which spilled over into a heated spa. Although the spa was fed from within itself, it was built to look as though water was coming from within the pool. The ultimate result of all of this is a new sense of visual “ebb and flow,” so to speak. When Mr. Pesek sits in his couch facing his house, the earth appears to rise up first into an illuminated pool which leads the way up the steps to his home. When he sits in his spa facing the other direction, the earth rises up like a doorway to his outdoor room, where he can comfortably relax in the water while he watches TV. For more the 20 years Exterior Worlds has specialized in servicing many of Houston's fine neighborhoods.

Charles Smith
Elegant formal living room photo in Dallas with a standard fireplace

A gravel path leads the viewer around the south lawn, unfolding changing views at every turn. -Chauncey Freeman
Photo of a large traditional full sun backyard gravel garden path in Other.

Traditional stone exterior home idea in San Francisco

Martin King
Inspiration for a large timeless open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor family room remodel in Orange County with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Greenlake Addition
Example of a trendy kitchen design in Seattle with mosaic tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances

The subtle use of finishes along with the highly functional use of space, creates a kitchen that is comfortable and blends seamlessly with the architecture of this craftsman style home.

The Port Ludlow Residence is a compact, 2400 SF modern house located on a wooded waterfront property at the north end of the Hood Canal, a long, fjord-like arm of western Puget Sound. The house creates a simple glazed living space that opens up to become a front porch to the beautiful Hood Canal. The east-facing house is sited along a high bank, with a wonderful view of the water. The main living volume is completely glazed, with 12-ft. high glass walls facing the view and large, 8-ft.x8-ft. sliding glass doors that open to a slightly raised wood deck, creating a seamless indoor-outdoor space. During the warm summer months, the living area feels like a large, open porch. Anchoring the north end of the living space is a two-story building volume containing several bedrooms and separate his/her office spaces. The interior finishes are simple and elegant, with IPE wood flooring, zebrawood cabinet doors with mahogany end panels, quartz and limestone countertops, and Douglas Fir trim and doors. Exterior materials are completely maintenance-free: metal siding and aluminum windows and doors. The metal siding has an alternating pattern using two different siding profiles. The house has a number of sustainable or “green” building features, including 2x8 construction (40% greater insulation value); generous glass areas to provide natural lighting and ventilation; large overhangs for sun and rain protection; metal siding (recycled steel) for maximum durability, and a heat pump mechanical system for maximum energy efficiency. Sustainable interior finish materials include wood cabinets, linoleum floors, low-VOC paints, and natural wool carpet.

Kitchen remodel in Oak Park. TZS Design collaborated on this kitchen design with L'Armadio cabinetry and we are thrilled with results. This large kitchen incorporate state of the art appliances with energy efficient LED and compact fluorescent light fixtures. The cabinetry is all custom designed finished in painted maple with durable quartzite counter tops. Marble accent tile is displayed behind the range with grey ceramic subway tile for a hint of contrast. The floor is durable color body porcelain in large format to minimize grout joints. A TV is cleverly hidden behind a wall cabinet with entertainment style doors. Custom drawer inserts were designed to provide more efficient access to spices and other kitchen related items. Please give us a call for your next kitchen remodel and we will create just the right custom kitchen for you.

Photography by Rob Karosis
Elegant open concept family room photo in New York with white walls, a standard fireplace and a brick fireplace

Photo by: Warren Lieb
Cottage kitchen photo in Charleston with stainless steel countertops, white appliances and recessed-panel cabinets

Going up the Victorian front stair you enter Unit B at the second floor which opens to a flexible living space - previously there was no interior stair access to all floors so part of the task was to create a stairway that joined three floors together - so a sleek new stair tower was added. Photo Credit: John Sutton Photography

Corner shower - mid-sized coastal white tile and ceramic tile mosaic tile floor and blue floor corner shower idea in Boston with white walls, an undermount tub, an undermount sink and quartz countertops

Bamboo water feature, brick patio, fire pit, Japanese garden, Japanese Tea Hut, Japanese water feature, lattice, metal roof, outdoor bench, outdoor dining, fire pit, tree grows up through deck, firepit stools, paver patio, privacy screens, trellis, hardscape patio, Tigerwood Deck, wood beam, wood deck, privacy screens, bubbler water feature, paver walkway

Inspiration for a large timeless l-shaped dark wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Atlanta with stainless steel appliances, marble countertops, raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, an island and white countertops

The support brackets are a custom designed Lasley Brahaney signature detail.
Example of a large classic three-car garage design in Other

Sinuous Driveway - Acts as the backbone of the garden. Both the lower and upper garden are bordered by Annabelle Hydrangeas and Zelkovas planted along the asphalt driveway making the driveway recede and emphasizing a garden feel to an otherwise functional space. Photo credit: ROGER FOLEY

Daniel O'Connor Photography
Bathroom - transitional blue tile and matchstick tile bathroom idea in Denver with shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets and gray countertops